Rail-joint.



W. H. FRENCH.

BAIL JOINT.

I V APPLICATION FILIlD JUNE 30. 1909. 952,324. Patented Mar. 15,1910.

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. A TTONEYS plates is such as to neatly lit the opening 'when a pressure is applied to the outside vto permit of-the expansion and contraction WILLIAM HORACE FRENCH, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

specification of Lettrs Patent. Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Application led June 30, 1909. Serial No. 505,190.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it .known that I, VILLIAM HORACE FnENcH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident. of Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved RailJoint, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and ex-y act description.

The invention is an improvement in rail joints, and has in view a joint of suc-h construction as will not be depressed or dipped under the weight ofthe rolling stock, ,vhcreby the jarring incident to the hammering ot the wheels substantially eliminated. ln constructing such a joint I provide the adjacent ends of the rails with a common transverse opening or slot in 'which are plyed two curved members or plates, with the concave faces of the plates facing inwardly, and meanstending to flatten and expand the plates to bind afrainst the upper and lower ..s or edges o the opening.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters ot' ret'- erence indicate correspondingr parts in all the views.

Figure l is a cross section on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2, through a rail joint embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same, on the line 2-2 in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is-a side View of the finished joint.

5, 5 indicate two rails arranged end to end and having a common transverse opening or slot t3 extending longitudinally in the webs. lyithin this slot are placed -two curved spring-plates or members T, having their concave farms inwardly turned and bearing on each other at the top and the bottom edges only. The width of the springand they are substantially less in length than the length of the opening,` wherebyv of the plates, tending to tiatten them out, they will bind against the to'p and bottom edges or walls of the slot, vhile the end wall-s or edges of the openings will be tree,

of the rail. For convenience of construction, the'ends of' the slot 6 are preferably ten out, thusetfeetually keyin rounded, and the ends of the plates are shapedI to conform thereto. The` con bincd thickness ofthe plates is substantially equal to the thickness of the webs of thc, rails, as

shown in Fig. and they are' provided with alinino' Vcentral openings through which is passedsa bolt 8 having a nut 9 on its thread# ed end. When the nut 9 is tightened, the plates are jammed together and tend to fiatthe two rails together and preventing re ative vertical movement between them. Both the head of the bolt and nut are of sufficient length to extend t0 the outside of the usual fish-plates 10, where they may be engaged by 'a Wrench. For this purpose the fish-plates are each provided with a central opening 1l sutticiently large for the head of the bolt or mit.

to turn in. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent: A

l. The combination ot'y two rails arranged end to end and having a common transverse opening extending through the webs, a curved locking device located within the opening, and means tending to straighten out. the device to t'orce it into engagement with the bottom and top walls of the opening and secure the rail ends against relative vertical movement.

2. 'lhe combination of two rails arranged end to end and having a connnon opening extending transversely through Vthe webs, a dished member arranged in said opening, and means tending to flatten said member and bind the edges thereof against the top and bottom walls of the opening.

3. The combination of two railway rails arranged end to end o lening through 'the webs, curved springplates arranged within said opening, with the concave faces of the plates in opposed position, and a bolt. passing through the plates to expand them against the upper and lower walls ot' the opening.

4. The combination otI two rails arranged end to end and having a common opening, sj'ning-plates arranged within the opening and transversely curved, with the concave t'aces of the plates turned inwardly, and means to force the plates together and expand them against the top and bottom walls of the opening.

The combination ot' two rails arranged end to end and having a common longitudinal slot. extending transversely through the webs.I transversely curved spring plates arranged within the opening, with the con, cave t'accs of the plates I'acing each other,

and having a common said plates being of a. length substantially less than thelength of-the slot and of a normal wldth approximately equal to the 7 width of trie slot,'and ay bolt passingthrough the plateslo-hind them together.

' The combination of two rails arranged end to end and having a common transverse opening extending through thejvveb, plates transversely vcurved and arranged 1n said top and bottom Walls ofthe'opening, and

fish plates arranged at opposite sides of the' rail ends and having openings to respectively 15` receive the head of the bolt a'nd the nut.

Inv testimony whereof I have signed my, name to this-specification in .the'pres'enee of two snbscribing' witnesses.

' WILLIAM HORACE FRENCH.

Witnesses l CHARLESy S. KAHN, Pimiirs' F. DABBY. 

